Axle housing and method of making same



Apr. 10, 1923..

T. E. MURRAY ET AL AXLE HOUSING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Nov. 301921 INVENTORS 1 WW r uw MM 5 g m 0 h T A TTORNEY:

Patented Apr. 10, 1923. a

UNITED STATES 1,451,401 PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. MURRAY AND THOMAS E. MURRAY, JR, or BROOKLYN, NEW YoRk.

HOUSING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Application filed November 30, 1921.

To all whom it may concem Be it known that we, THOMAS E..MURRAY andTHOMAS E. MURRAY, Jr.,'citizens,.of'the United States, residing inBrooklyn, Kings County, and State of New York, have 'invented certainnew and useful Improvements in theAxle Housings and Methods of MakingSame, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention aims to provide certain improvements in the constructionand method of production of axle housings andsimilar structures such asare commonly used for the rear axles of automobiles, by whichimprovement certain economies are effected and certain other advantagesreferred to hereinafter are secured.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention.

Fig. l is an elevation of a complete'housin? c ig. 2 is a cross-sectionon the line 2-2 on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the.line 33 also on an enlarged .scale;

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective viewsillustrating opposite faces of adetail;

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 3, illus-- 'trating an alternativeconstruction;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a detail of this constructlon; a

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of part of a rinlg, illustrating a thirdalternative;

. 9 is a development of a, blank used in forming a segmentof thehousing.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the housingcomprises a central enlargement I of annular shape with a transverseopening through which the gearing within is made accessible; tubularportions 2 for the axles being extended from the sides of theenlargement.

In making the housing, blanks are used of sheet metal of the form shownin full lines-in Fig. 9. Such a blank is bent up transversely to formthe outer ring 3 and flanges 4' of the enlargement and the semicircularsegments of the tubular extensions;

and is bent longitudinally to ive the shape shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 9 te wider central portion 5 of the blank forms the enlargement of thehousing and the narrower ortions 6 form the tubular extensions. Iwo suchsegments are then placed edge to edge and united along their meetingedges, preferably by welding. In order that the Serial No. 518,743.

edges 7 along which the segments are united should run continuously tothe circular line 8 constituting the inner edge of the enlargement, theblank would have to be of the shape shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9 withtriangular portions 9 at the ends of the central portion 5 of the blank.This tri-. angular part 9 being omitted, however, the edges 7 diverge,as shown in %Fig. 1, where the tubular part-s merge into the centralenlargement. By omitting the triangular portions 9 from the blank thereis a considerable saving of metal in" cutting a num.--

the outer face of the adjacent portions of the structure. Such a fillermay be provided in a number of different .ways. According to Figs. 3, 4and 5 the ring 10 is formed of two halves 10 and 10*, the ends of whichare cut obliquely and overlapped one on the other to provide asubstantially triangular boss 12 which fills the space between thediverging edges of the blanks.

vThe two half rings may be spot welded or otherwise fastened at theiroverlapping ends, or they may be assembled without preliminary.fastening. When the parts are assembled and the'edges 7 welds togetherthey may be welded also to the edges of the part 12 and the two halfrings 10 and 10 welded to each other.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the rings 10 are continuousand a separate triangular filler 12 is welded thereon and serves to fillthe s ace between the diverging edges 7 when t e parts are assembled.'Or the filler 12 may be set in place and united to the segments or tothe ring in other ways and at other stages of the operation. 0

According to Fig. 8 the nu is formed each of which will constitute halfof the filler. When two such half rings are assembled the contacting endportions 12 thereof will constitute a complete filler. The rings andsegments are united in any desired order. They may be welded for exampleto the edges of the formed segments or may be spot welded to the flangeof the enlarged portion of the housing.

\Vith housings made according to this invention there is a saving ofapproximately thirty percent in the quantity of steel used. The ringsmay be made of-scrap steel cut -in straight strips and bent up in theplane of the metal. Also this construction produces a stronger housingby tying the ring to the outer shell through the shoulders formed withinthe divergent edges.

Preferably the parts are welded together as described although it isessential only that the straight edges of the segments be united. It isalso within our invention to unite such edges by various other meansthan welding.

The invention is applicable not only to axle housings, but to variousother hollow structure and particularly to similar structures comprisinga tubular portion merging into an enlarged portion with a transverseopening. It is not essential in all cases that the space between thediverging edges be filled. The ring or equivalent member may be ofsuflicient strength, or the segments themselves may be of sufiicientstrength to serve the intended purpose of the structure without thefilling in of this space.

Or the space may be filled by the introduction of molten metal. Forexample, the ordinary arc welding machine may be employed to deposit thedesired quantity of metal to fill this space and at the same time toweld the parts together at this point.

In a co-pending application of Thomas E. Murray. Jr., (No. 517,056 filedNovember 22, 1921) there is described a method of stamping out blanksfor the segments used in making axle housings or the like, according towhich the blanks are stamped out minus certain projections (the lateralprojections 9 or the comparatively narrow end projections) and suchprojections are made of separate stampings welded to the blanks beforebendin them into segments. The present invention includes the same stepof stamping out incomplete blanks andthe addition of the necessary partor parts after the bending operation: either to thebent up segmentsbefore welding or to the welded structure.

Though we have described with great particularity of detail certainembodiments of our invention, yet it is not to be understood that theinvention is restricted to the particular embodiments disclosed. Variousmodifications thereof, in. detail and in the arrangement of the partsmay be made by those skilled in the art without departure from theinvention as defined in the followin claims.

Vhat we claim is- 1. An axle housing or the like comprising anenlargement with inward flanges and with a tubular extension from theside said housing being formed of longitudinal segments the edges ofwhich are united along the tubular extension but diverge where thelatter merges into said flanges.

2. An axle housing or't-he like comprising an enlargement with inwardflanges and with a tubular extension from the side, said housing beingformed of longitudinal segments the edges of which are united along thetubular extension but diverge where the latter merges into said flanges,the segments being of substantially uniform width throughout theportions thereof forming the enlargement.

3. An axle housing or the like comprising an enlargement with inwardflanges and with a-tubular extension from the side, said housing beingformed of longitudinal segments the edges of which are united along thetubular extension but diverge where the latter merges into said flangesand a supplementary member extending across the diverging edges of thesegments.

4. An axle housing or the like comprising an enlargement with inwardflanges and with a tubular extension from the side, said housing beingformed of longitudinal segments the edges of which are united along thetubular extension but diverge where the latter merges into said flangesand a filler bgtween the diverging portions of such e ges.

5. An axle housing or the like comprising an enlargement with inwardflanges and with a tubular extension from the side. said housing beingformed of longitudinal segments the edges of which are united along thetubular extension but diverge where the latter merges into said flangesand a supplementary member extending across the diverging edges of thesegments, said supplementary member having a portion constituting afiller between the diverging portions of such edges.

6. An axle housing comprising a central annulus with tubular extensionsfrom opposite sides, the housing being formed of longitudinal segmentsthe edges of which are united along the tubular extensions but divergewhere the latter merges into the annulus.

7. An axle housing comprising a central annulus with tubular extensionsfrom opposite sides. the housing being formed of longitudinal segmentsthe edges of which are united along the tubular extensions but divergewhere the latter merge into the annulus and a ring applied to the faceof the annulus and extending across the diverging edges of the segments.

8. An axle housing Comprising a central annulus with tubular extensionsfrom opposite sides, the housing being formed of longitudinal segmentsthe edges of which are united along the tubular extensions but divergewhere the latter merge into the annulus and a ring applied to the faceof the annulus and extending across the diverging edges of the segmentsand shaped to constitute a filler betweensuch diverging edges.

9. In the making of axle housings or the like by bending up segmentsfrom blanks of sheet metal and uniting such segments along their edges,the method which consists in stamping a number of such blanks minuscertain projections from a sheet, bending such stampings into segmentalshape and subsequently adding such projections.

10. In the making of hollow structures by bending up segments fromblanks of sheet metal and uniting such segments along their edges, themethod which consists in stamping a number of such blanks minus certainprojections from a sheet, bending such stampings into segmental shapeand subsequently adding such projections.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

THOMAS E. MURRAY. THOMAS E. MURRAY, JR.

